Internal fitting for hollow containers



March 17, 1942. w. WALSH INTERNAL FITTING FOR HOLLOW CONTAINERS Original Filed April 11, 1938 Patented Mar. 17, 1942 warren STATES r,

TE' FEE INTERNAL FITTING FOR HOLLOW CONTAINERS William Walsh, London, England May 7, 1937 4' Claims.

This invention is concerned with an internal fitting for hollow containers, which expression is intended to include, where used in this specification and in the appended claims, containers such as jars, bottles, cans, boxes, show-cases, and the like. The present application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 201,396 filed April 11, 1938.

It is an object of my present invention to provide means whereby a container can be divided into compartments by means of shelves or partitions which are readily removable and which enable the contents of the container in the various compartments to be kept separate and prevented from intermingling.

Another object of the invention is to provide an internal fitting for containers which is suitable for use where the container is to be employed for the transport, storage or display of chemicals such as crystalline minerals, and where it is desired to prevent contact between various layers of chemicals, or the settling down or gravitation of heavier materials to the bottom of the container.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a fitting readily adaptable to various sizes of containers and by means of which the volumes of the compartments formed can quickly be changed and fragile articles can be safely packed.

With these objects inmind my invention comprises an internal fitting for hollow containers comprising one or more shelves or partitions adapted to be arranged transversely of the container, and to be detachably supported or retained in the container upon a plurality of upright members adapted to extend in the general direction of length of th container and to be supported by a resilient base member which is removable from the container thereby permitting the insertion or removal of the shelves or partitions, and the supporting or retaining members in a direction substantially at right angles to the plane in which the shelves or partitions are disposed when mounted in the container.

The invention will. be more completely'understood from the following detailed description which is given in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a container having an internal fitting constructed in accordance with th invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are horizontal and vertical sections respectively of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a part section corresponding to Figure 1 through a modified form of fitting, while Figure 5 is a horizontal section of Figure 4 and depicts acontainer of hexagonal shape.

Referring now to the drawing, the reference I indicates a container of circular cylindrical form fitted with partitional means comprising a series of spaced shelves each consisting of a pair of spaced plates 3| and 32 extending over the whole width of the container. For the purpose of securing these shelves in the container at spaced intervals as shown there is provided a pair of bars 26 carried by two mounting plates 21 on a frame 28 of spring material which conforms closely to the inside of the container on account of its springy nature and thus retains the mounting plates and therewith the bars 26 in position.

The frame 28 is in the form of a part flexible ring which extends through loops 29 secured to the lower parts of the plates 21 by means of small screws 33. More than one loop 29 may be secured to each plate, and preferably the loops are so dimensioned that they have a tight frictional fit with ring 28. Moreover both ring 28 and loops 29 are of non-circular cross-section, to prevent the plates rocking about the ring.

If desired, the loops 29 might be attached in any other desired manner to plates 21 or might be formed integral therewith.

Plates 2'! are shaped to conform to the inner contour of the container and are provided with brackets 3la, in which the lower ends of the uprights 26 are accommodated and supported. It will be noted that the lower end of each of the uprights 26 is rabbeted or reduced in thickness at the part thereof which fits into the bracket 3m and that the outer face of the remainder of the upright lies flush with the outer face of the mounting plate 21.

A series of hollow shelves are provided in this construction each consisting ofa pair of spaced plates 3| and 32 extending over the whole width of the container and peripherally recessed to accommodate bars 26. The plates 3i and 32 are connected together by a sleeve 33 through which passes a pivot pin 34 carrying a lever or blade 35, which is rigidly secured to the pin 34 so as to rotate when the latter is turned and is of strip metal or other suitable rigid material. The blade 35 may be disposed either over, under or between the disc layers as desired.

The ends of the lever or blade 35 are adapted to engage in transverse or horizontal grooves 36 provided in the bars 26, when the lever or blade is turned relatively to the plates 3| and 32 by actuation of a milled knobv 31 on the upper end of pin 34. Thus to lock each shelf in position on the bars it is inserted in the container, moved down until the lever 35 registers with the desired slots in the bars, and the knob 3'! turned. The ends of lever 35 are slightly curved and the slot 36 cut on a bias to facilitate entry of the one into the other.

If the container with. which the fitting in this embodiment is to be used is long and narrow, and accordingly it is difiicult to actuate knob 31 with the fingers, a tool could be provided for this purpose. This might for instance comprise a pair of prongs carried by a suitable stem, which prongs would be openable in response to manipulation of the handle thereof, but could therea after be allowed to close together under the action of spring means to engage the knob 31 and enable the latter to be rotated.

Figures 4 and 5 relate to another embodiment of the invention and illustrate a fitting which is suitable for use with straight-sided containers, of polygonal cross-section, although this fitting can quite readily be modified for use with circular or other curved containers. If desired, a cover can be provided to prevent percolation of finer materials.

In this embodiment the shelves and uprights retain the form indicated in Figures 1 to 3, but the supporting frame is modified and is provided with expansion means.

Thus there is provided a pair of plates 38 which are adapted to lie against oppositely-located fiat inner walls of the container. The frame also includes spaces parallel tubes 39 extending partly across the container and mounted in sockets 40 provided on one of the plates 38. Telescopically mounted within tubes 39 and engaging in sockets 4| on the other plate 33 are rod or piston members 42, each bearing at one end on a compression spring 43 mounted at the end of tube 39 engaging in socket 40, these springs being suitably tensioned to produce a pressure against the walls of the container.

It will be understood that the springs 43 may be compressed by bringing the plates 38 towards one another by any suitable mechanical means, so as to enable the frame to be introduced into or removed from the container. The movement of piston members 42 is limited in both directions however by a split pin 44 passing through a corresponding hole in each piston and moving in slots 45 in the tube 39.

The bars 26 are carried in brackets 31a similar to those described in connection with the preceding example but arranged at the bottom of the mounting plates 38.

The fitting according to any of the constructions illustrated can be utilised directly, or can be readily adapted for utilisation as the case may be, with containers of any shape in horizontal or transverse section. The shapes of the shelves will, preferably, also be adapted to the form of the container and the shelves will preferably fit as closely as possible to the inner wall or walls of the container.

An internal fitting constructed according to the present invention has a wide field of utility. Such a fitting can be used in practically any container where it is desired to store or pack articles, substances, materials, and so on in compartments. For example, the fitting could be used in bottles for containing minerals of crystal ine structure which are unhomogeneous or vary in density or hardness. Where such crystalline bodies are massed together they tend to deteriorate, either by breaking up by impact with one another or by conglomeration into particles of larger size, or by deliquescence. By employing a fitting according to the invention and dividing the container into a plurality of compartments, the load on the material in the lower compartment or compartments is relieved of the weight of the material in the upper compartment or compartments.

Where the materials to be stored, packed or exhibited easily deliquesce, the shelves or partitions can be made of absorbent material or be coated or covered with an absorbent layer of moisture-absorbent material.

The fitting or the various elements thereof can be of any suitable material. For example the shelves or partitions could be of glass, light or heavy metal, iron, steel, wood, artificial resin,-

stout cardboard or millboard, depending on the use and strain to which the fitting is liable to be subjected and on the materials with which it is to come into contact.

I claim:

1. An internal fitting for hollow containers comprising, a plurality of bars extending lengthwise of the container along opposite inner faces thereof, a plate member secured to one end of each bar, yielding means pressing said plate members into frictional gripping engagement with the interior surface of the container, a shelf arranged transversely of the container having recesses therein for said bars, a blade rotatably mounted on said shelf, each of said bars having a lateral groove therein, and means for rotating said blade to move the ends thereof into said grooves.

2. An internal fitting for hollow containers comprising, a plurality of bars extending lengthwise of the container along opposite inner faces thereof, a plate member adjacent one end of each bar, a bracket carried by each plate .member providing a pocket receiving and supporting the bars, yielding means carried by said plate members urging the plate members radially outward into gripping engagement with the inner face of the container, a shelf arranged transversely of the container having recesses therein for said bars, a blade rotatably mounted on said shelf, said bars having lateral grooves therein, and means for rotating said blade to move ends thereof into said grooves.

3. An internal fitting for a hollow cylindrical container comprising, a plurality of bars extending lengthwise of the container along opposite inner faces thereof, a plate member secured to one end of each bar, an annular spring member engaging the inner surface of the container and forcing said plate members into gripping engagement with the inner surface of the container, a shelf arranged transversely of the container having recesses in the periphery thereof for said bars, a blade rotatably mounted on said shelf, said bars having lateral grooves therein, and

1 means for rotating the blade to move ends thereof into said grooves.

4. An internal fitting for hollow containers comprising, a plurality of bars extending lengthwise of the container along opposite inner faces thereof, a plate member secured to one end of each bar, a tube carried by one plate member extending towards the other plate member, a spring mounted within said tube, a piston extending into said tube engaging said spring whereby the plate members are moved into gripping engagement with opposite inner faces of the container, a shelf arranged transversely of the container having recesses therein for said bars, a blade rotatably mounted on said shelf, and said bars having lateral grooves therein, and means for rotating said blade to move ends thereof into said grooves.

WILLIAM WALSH. 

